


Cinnamon, Cherries and Pine

by strictlyNocturnal



Category: Homestuck
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Minor Gamzee Makara/Terezi Pyrope, Minor Terezi Pyrope/Dave Strider, when i say minor i mean very very minor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-08
Updated: 2014-04-08
Packaged: 2018-01-18 14:58:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1432711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strictlyNocturnal/pseuds/strictlyNocturnal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She smells like cinnamon and cherries, with a hint of something sharper like pine, and somehow the combination of scents isn’t off-putting.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cinnamon, Cherries and Pine

            She smells like cinnamon and cherries, with a hint of something sharper like pine, and somehow the combination of scents isn’t off-putting.

            You notice it for the first time when you’re both lying on the cold, hard floor of the meteor, both too apathetic and tired to gather blankets or plushies for a pile. She messaged you to come to her respiteblock when you were in the lab on the other side of the meteor. She didn’t say why, but she’s been crying and you think you might have at least a rough idea of what’s wrong.

            You trace the outline of her shoulders with your fingers. She’s facing away from you, totally still, but you know she’s not sleeping. There’s about a foot of space between the curves of your bodies and you think it’s probably safe to move in a little closer. It’s cold in here, anyway, and you could both do with the warmth that closeness brings. Your cherry-red blood has always burned the hottest.

            You halve the distance and at the movement she finally speaks.

            “Why don’t we talk any more, Karkat?”

            “What’s that supposed to mean?” You reply, and wince slightly when it comes out much louder and filled with much more venom than you meant it to. “You’re always with Dave or just off walking around by yourself. Or. You know.” You try to make these statements gentler, but she still tenses up at your last words.

            “What? Do you mean you know- about-”

            “Everyone knows about you and Gamzee, Terezi,” You murmur, “Probably even Dave at this point, but Rose and Kanaya said it’d be better to let him figure it out by himself so maybe not. He’s one dense motherfucker.” She makes a noise that you at first think is a wheeze but then realize is a tiny puff of laughter.

            “He’s really not all that good at taking a hint, is he?” she murmurs, rolling onto her back so you can see her profile instead of just her body’s silhouette. She’s smiling, but sadly. “God, I’m sorry you had to find out about it like this, me and Gamzee, I mean. I wanted to tell you, you were his moirail-“

            “Exactly. I was.” You cut her off sharply. “I’m not now. He’s too fucking far from me, I can’t do that shit any more. It wouldn’t be even close to healthy for either of us. But is… is he doing okay?”

            “Speaking as his kismesis, I’d say he’s just as much of an ineffable bulgesniffer as ever, which is probably good news, considering Gamzee. Speaking as your friend, he’s- well- you’re right. He’s too distant. He’s too far away from all of us, from who he used to be. I’m sorry Karkat.” Any hint of a smile has left her face, and now she just looks empty and sad.

            “It’s not your fault,” you mumble, because though to the untrained eye that could have been interpreted as a sympathy “sorry,” you know Terezi better than that.

            After almost a minute, when you’re starting to think maybe she’s never going to explain what’s really wrong, she speaks again.

            “Sometimes when I walk around alone, I walk around alone because I don’t have anyone to walk around with. Rose and Kanaya are off somewhere together, Dave’s doing his own thing, Gamzee is… Gamzee, the Mayor is great but conversations with him are never all that stimulating, and you… what do you even do, Karkat? Where even are you? And don’t give me that garbage about grubs and paradox slime, we all know there’s nothing left for you to do with that now.”

            You shrug, looking away. She’s right, of course. Sometimes you really do study the lab equipment but it’s mostly just sitting around, staring at shitty romance novels you’ve already reread 5 times or more often, staring at cracks in the floor.

            “I just- I figured I already had my fucking chance with you. We both have to move on now, right? That’s just how this shit has to be. You said it yourself, basically. So did Dave, and I just figured you wanted to be left-“

            “Oh, cut the crap!” she snaps, turning towards you on the cold floor angrily. “Just because thirteen-year-old you couldn’t get his stupid quadrants in order, just because a dumb guy who I don’t even know if I like any more said something equally stupid to you- ugh, Karkat, you take everything way too literally! Everything! You don’t have to avoid me all the time, I actually happen to enjoy your shitty goddamn company!”

            “Wait, you don’t like Dave any more?”

            “That’s not the _point_!” she says, scrunching her eyes shut in frustration. “Can we just stop this? This stupid passive aggressive chivalry bullshit you’re determined to keep up or whatever? Can we just talk, like normal kids? Like we- like we used to?” she’s outright crying now, and you’re not sure what you did but shit you fucked up you fucked up.

            “Terezi- I-“

            “You’ve been an _asshole,_ Karkat!” and shit that’s a shout but she isn’t making any move to get up, just hastily wiping her eyes over and over for each new tear that falls. “An immature asshole and I figured you were just mad, or, or, I don’t even know, but I’ve fucking _missed_ you okay?”

            “I-“ you don’t know how to even respond, so you hug her. “I’ve missed you too.” You whisper as you bury your face in her heaving shoulder, and suddenly fuck you’re crying too. Goddammit. “I’m sorry Terezi, I’m sorry I’ve been so goddamn far away,” you continue, trying to keep your voice as steady as possible. “I’m so fucking selfish I didn’t even take a goddamn second to lightly ponder upon anybody else’s feelings, all I give a nibble vermin’s ass about is my own shit-“

            “Shut up.” She growls, and you shut up. “Can we just,” she says, and takes a shaky breath, “can we just be like we used to be. Just for a little bit, just for today and then… tomorrow we can figure this out, actually talk like adults for once?”

            You nod into her. “Yeah,” you murmur. “Ok, I’d like that.”

            She draws back and for a second you’re confused but then she kisses you and her lips are soft and taste sweet and bitter all at once and when you break apart she hugs you again and whispers “let’s talk about it later,” and that’s fine because you’re tired and warm and all you want to do is lay here with Terezi and be okay, like you used to be. Like you want to be. Like, maybe, you will be.

            You fall asleep breathing in her scent and buried in her arms.

**Author's Note:**

> bluhbluh I got inspired and wrote this and then edited it and now it's 1am and I have to get up in 5 hours and go to school  
> this is actually my first time writing this pairing and posting it online even though it's my otp! I know my characterization isn't spot-on but I at least don't think it's terrible haha  
> If you notice any glaring errors please point them out! Constructive criticism is also welcome but please try not to tear me apart since I haven't really written stuff like this before (I'm a fanfiction baby sorry)


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